1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to communications systems. More specifically, the present invention relates to systems and methods for automatically managing a plurality of communication resources.
2. Description of the Related Art
The transformation of the Department of Defense that is currently underway will continue to exert enormous pressure on communications and bandwidth. For the foreseeable future, tactical- and theater-level military communications will need to provide communications management functionality to enable network centric operations. This paradigm shift requires moving from dedicated point-to-point links to flexible, managed networked communications that meet the needs of pre-planned mission objectives and can also adapt and respond to unscheduled events during mission execution.
For example, an Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) utilizes a large aircraft flying in a safe region to carry out airborne surveillance and command and control functions for tactical and air defense forces. An AWACS aircraft typically has a large number of communications systems onboard for communicating with a large variety of different destinations (ground forces, aircraft, command centers, satellite links, etc.). Each of these communications resources, however, is usually dedicated to a particular task. In a multi-application, multi-channel environment, one set of resources can easily reach overload while another set has untapped, inaccessible surplus resources. Currently, there is no way to automatically reallocate resources.
In addition, legacy communications point-to-point links typically provide service on a first-come, first-serve basis, often in a stove-piped; dedicated resource method. With a first-in, first-out model, much of the tight RF (radio frequency) bandwidth is wasted as non-critical traffic is allowed to precede critical traffic. Today, no protocols exist for overall message prioritization and multiple path selection of non-IP (interne protocol) traffic. On the other hand, IP protocols, originally designed for wired infrastructures, are too coarse-grained for wireless communications environments and fail to address non-IP (legacy) traffic.
Isolated portions of these problems are currently handled via intervention by the platform's communication administrators. Most of the current solutions are operator intensive and fail to adapt to increasing urgency of messages over time. In addition, they have no way to readily adapt to shifting mission priorities quickly and automatically.
Hence, a need exists in the art for system or method for automatically managing a plurality of communications resources.